What Happens Now? [Evergreen Vinyl] [Barnes & Noble Exclusive] in Bloomington, MN

Somewhere between the release of her indie debut
Dirty Blonde
and her 2024 EP
What Happens Now?
,
Dasha
signed to
Warner Records
and refashioned herself as a country singer -- not so much abandoning pop as shifting her focus while adding down-home affectations, usually in the form of fiddles and acoustic guitars. The switch in style is algorithmically aided:
isn't aiming for country radio, she's targeting streaming playlists that are amorphous and malleable, appealing to different moods and genres.
demonstrates her canny dexterity. Heavy on hushed, sensitive ballads featuring little more than her and a guitar, the EP also features melody-forward pop tunes that are heavy on spacy atmosphere. All of this comes to a head on "Austin," which rushes forward on a galloping rhythm
's vocal cadence races to match. As fitting as its namesake, "Austin" contains the heaviest dose of country on the album but it's the surging title track that suggests that
's talents lie on something glitzier -- something that's a little more pop and a little less downhome. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine